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(No Model.)

. O. M. BALL & T. J. M TIGHE.

MAIL BOX INDICATOR. No. 363,574. Patented May 24, 1887.

introduced only at one place, preferably a slit UNITED STATES CLINTON M. BALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND THOMAS OF NENV YORK, N. Y.

PATENT OFFI E.

MAlL-BOX INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,574, dated May 24, 1857.

Application filed Iecember 2, I886.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CLINTON M. BALL, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Mas saehusetls, and THOMAS J. MoTIcHE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Mail-Box Indicators; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to mail-boxes of that character which are placed generally at the ground-floor of a building to receive mail-matter for the occupants ofrooms above the groundfloor or at some distance from the main entrance where said mailbox is usually located.

It is desirable to have the depositing of mailmatter announced in the office to which the box belongs, and also to have a visual signal,, an inspection of which will at any time determine whether the box contains mail or not. Our purpose is to do this all by the use of electrical devices. The elements needed are a singlestroke or vibrating bell, a polarized magnet with indicating-signals, a battery, and suitable switching or current directing devices located at the mailbox. i

The invention consists in the arrangement and combination of devices substantially as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure. 1 is a diagram illustrating the various devices and the normally-open circuit. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the circuit-closer and pole-changer.

More particularly our invention is as follows: In the mail box or receptacle A, which is usually placed at the main entrance of a build ing, the construction is such that mail can be in the top of the box. This is so arranged that the act of inserting mail-matter necessarily closes two contacts together. This may be done in a variety of ways; but we find one of the simplest to be a spring-hinged cover, I), (for the slit 0,) having the contacts (I e. Before any mail can be inserted into the box A the mail-carrier must move the cover I), and in doing so he closes the contacts d e. As soon as he releases the cover I) the contacts fly apart and remain so till the next insertion of mail sci-n1 No. 2.0.540. m0 inntlcLl into the box. The circuit thus closed passes to the office or apartment in which the particular mailbox belongs, and there enters a signal-box and annuneiator, F, containing a single stroke or vibrating bell and a signalmagnet, either or both. The signal-magnet 1s a polarized form with its movable armature carrying a signal Mail and a blank or another signal No mail, and the whole -]S set that the door I, when shut, holds the parts in a fixed position; but when the door is opened the pole'changer acts by a spring to reverse the direction of current in the line. A simple form is used. (Shown fullyin Fig. 2.) It

consists of a cast iron frame, It, having lugs for attachment by means of screws to the inside of the box A, close to the front or door. A spring, Z, fastened to the framek, carries the insulated spring-blades m it, one of which may to advantage have a pin, projecting out through an opening in frame 70, or which pin may be attached to the door, as shown, so as to be forced inwardly by the door when the latter is being shut. The battery R is connected directly by one pole to the two outer 8o contact-pins, s, of the pole-changer, and by the other pole to the center pin, t, of the pole changer, in the usual manner. A fourth pin, 22, is used to close the circuit around the contacts d 6 when a closed circuit is necessary for the operation consequent on opening the door of the box A. This pin 22 is preferably a short one, and the blade m is split lengthwise, so that the contact will be assured.

The operations are as follows: The door of box A being closed, and the contacts d'e open, the battery is an open circuit, which is one of the features of this invention. The signal is on the No-mail position, held there by the permanent magnetism of its polarized armature since its last throw. 7 As soon as the carrier moves the cover B to deposit 1115 mm],

contacts 6 d are momentarily closed, and the pole-changer m n being now reversed from the position held during the last admission of cur Ioo rent to the line, the current which now flows rings the bell and sets the signal to Mail.

J. MoTIGHE,

The circuit is opened by his releasing the cover I), and the signal remains at Mail,so that if the bell is not heard, or the occupants of the office be absent, a look at the signal later will reveal the fact that the box contains mail. At the above operation the circuit is from the batterys positive pole to pin 8, to bladem,to contact d, to e, to pin it, to negative pole of battery. Before mail can be taken from the box A its door must be opened. This allows the spring Z to act with the result of reversing the direction of current and closing the open circuit by means of the pin 1) and blade m, and thesignal is thrown instantly to No mail or blank. The circuit is then from battery positive pole to pin 8, to blade 11, to F and G, to pin 22, to blade m, to pin 2, and back to negative pole of battery. This position of the polarized signal-magnets armature is not disturbed by the changes of contact resulting from a closing of the door, because the line-v contact at o is opened before any reversal can take place.

We have shown and described particular forms and constructions, but merely to illustrate a means of carrying the invention into practical effect. These forms and construe tions may be greatly modified without defeating the objects of the invention or departing from its principles,among which may be stated as special points the automatic announcing, by a visual signal, at all times the condition of the mail-box, occupied or empty, and the ability to use an open-circuit battery.

What we claim as our invention is as follows:

' 1. A mail-indicator comprising a mail-box having a door for access thereto, a battery, a pole-changer at the said box adapted to be operated by the opening and closing of said door, a polarized indicatirig-magnet, and a line and circuit closing devices, substantially as described.

2. In a mail-indicator having a mail box, a battery, an electromagnetic signa1,and lineconnections thereto, the combination therewith of a pole-changer at the mail-box and a polarized magnet controlling the signal, substan tially as described.

3. In a mail-indicator, the combi1iation,with a single electric circuit and a visual'signaling device adapted to be operated by the passage of current and the reversal of polarity thereof, of a mail-box having an opening for the insertion of mail and a door for its Withdrawal, normally-open contacts adapted to be closed temporarily by the act of inserting the mail and opened after its insertion, a by-pass around said contacts, and anautomatic pole-changer and shunt adapted to be operated by the opening and closing of the said door, substantially as described.

- 4. In a mail-indicator device, an electromagnetic visual signal adapted to indicate the presence and absence of mail-matter in the mail-box, in combination with a polarized magnet controlling said signal, a circuit,a battery, and devices at the mail-box adapted to control and signal automatically by the ad mission of mail-matter into or its withdrawal from said box; substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands.

CLINTON M. BALL. THOMAS J. MOTIGHE. 

